ACC Notebook: Another academic incident at UNC

Wednesday

Plagiarism is a serious offense. But most instances of borrowing from the written works of others usually don't involve eight-year-old articles about breeding chickens.

Or those about how the best egg-laying hens can be found in Rhode Island.

Or 11-year-olds.

But North Carolina senior wide receiver Erik Highsmith is being accused of just that as UNC academic scandals continue dragging the school's educational reputation through the mud.

According to the Raleigh News & Observer last Sunday, Highsmith had to write a blog for a communications class last year, which would account for 30 percent of his grade.

Highsmith was accused by his instructor, J. Nikol Beckham, of plagiarizing twice. She told the newspaper that one blog he wrote about pets was plagiarized from an essay posted on Urch.com, a website that helps prepare students for the SAT and other college entrance exams.

But it was the other instance that raised the most eyebrows: Highsmith was accused by Beckham of lifting passages from an essay on raising poultry published on ThinkQuest, an educational website by four 11-year-olds in 2003.

The News & Observer obtained an excerpt of the what Highsmith wrote:

"Poultry farming is raising of turkeys, ducks, chicken and other fowl for meat or eggs. Poultry farms can be breeding farms where they raise poultry for meat, or layer farms where they produce eggs. The 'best' breeds depend on what you want from them. Good egg layers are Rhode Island Reds [brown eggs] and Leghorns [white eggs]."

Here is the passage published by the four 11-year-olds:

"Poultry farming is raising chickens, turkeys, ducks and other fowl for meat or eggs. Poultry farms can be: 1. Breeding farms where they raise poultry for meat, or 2. Layer farms where they produce eggs.

"The 'best' breeds depend on what you want from them. Good egg layers are Rhode Island Reds [brown eggs] and Leghorns [white eggs]."

Beckham, who has since taken another teaching job in Virginia, said she was assured by UNC officials that "the matter would be handled."

"I haven't heard anything," she told the News & Observer.

North Carolina officials wouldn't comment, citing privacy issues. Highsmith, who has continued playing and leads the Tar Heels with 39 receptions this season, also has declined comment.

UCF eyeing ACC foes

Central Florida coach George O'Leary is exploring the possibility of dropping or deferring one of his non-conference games in 2013 to pick up an ACC opponent. The Knights play South Carolina, Akron, Bethune-Cookman and Florida International outside Conference USA and O'Leary told UCFSports.com that he considers only the South Carolina game untouchable.

O'Leary said he became hopeful of getting an ACC opponent when the league decided to remain at eight conference games instead of nine.

"The ACC just went ... to eight [games], so we're trying to hook up with some of those guys to get a game in here, a home-and-home type situation," O'Leary told the website. "I like playing a good non-conference schedule. I always like doing that. I think it's great for fans and great for our players with competition to see exactly where you're at."

While at UCF, O'Leary has played N.C. State, Boston College and Miami home-and-home. Maryland is scheduled for 2016 and 2017.

The Knights and FSU tried to work out a game when West Virginia dropped the Seminoles, but were unable to find a mutual open date.

Death Valley streak

Clemson's victory over Virginia Tech last week was its 11th home victory in a row, modest when taking Death Valley's reputation into consideration. It matches the longest home streak in Clemson history. ... Miami has 30 scoring drives this season, with more than a third (13) lasting two minutes or less. ... There have been 96 plays reviewed by ACC officials, with 19 reversed. The average length of the replays, according to league officials, is 1 minute, 7 seconds.

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